EPA considers proposal for upgrade of quarry at Buckland

​The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has concluded its assessment of a proposal by Mr B McConnon to increase production at McConnon’s Quarry, Buckland Road, Buckland in Glamorgan Spring Bay municipality.

The proposal is to increase extraction to 12,500 cubic metres per year.

The EPA Acting Director, Dr Martin Read, made the determination under delegation from the EPA Board. He concluded the proposed development could be managed in an environmentally sustainable and acceptable manner, with certain conditions. The Board requires these conditions to be included in any permit subsequently granted by the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council.

“Various environmental issues were considered in the assessment, particularly flora and fauna, dust and water quality,” said Dr Read.

“The proposal requires a small amount of vegetation removal on the edge of its existing footprint, and any potential dust or sediment issues can be minimised through good site management,” Dr Read said.

No representations were received in relation to the permit application. Public consultation was open for a 14 day period from 9 March 2019.

The proposal was considered by the Acting Director in the context of the sustainable development objectives of the Resource Management and Planning System of Tasmania (RMPS), and in the context of the objectives of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control System (EMPCS) established by the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 (EMPCA).

The functions of the EPA are to administer and enforce the provisions of the EMPC Act, to further the RMPS and EMPCS objectives and, in particular, to use its best endeavours to protect the environment of Tasmania.

The Acting Director undertook the assessment of the proposal in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Principles defined in Section 74 of the Act.

The Acting Director’s environmental assessment report, including the environmental conditions, has been issued to the proponent and Glamorgan Spring Bay Council for their information.